Chandogya Upanishad Lecture 70 on 19 January 2025

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PADAPADMETAYOH SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU OM APYAYANTUM AMANGANIVAKPRANASYAKSHUH SHROTRAM ATHO BALAMINDRIYANICHA SARVANI SARVAM BRAHMAHU PANISHADAM MAHAM BRAHMANIRAKURIYAM MAMA BRAHMANIRAKARO ANIRAKARANAM ASTVANIRAKARANAM ME ASTU TADATMANI NIRATE YAUPANISHAD SU DHARMA TE MAI SANTU TE MAI SANTU OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI HA RE HE OM OM May my limbs, speech, vital force, eyes, ears, as also strength, and all the organs become well developed. Everything is the Brahman revealed in the Upanishads. May I not deny Brahman. May not Brahman deny me. Let there be no spurning of me by Brahman. Let there be no rejection of Brahman by me. May all the virtues that are spoken of in the Upanishads repose in me. I am engaged in the pursuit of the Self. May they repose in me. OM PEACE PEACE PEACE BE UNTO ALL We are studying the seventh chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad, which is aptly termed as Bhumananda. In our last class, we were discussing the 16th section called Satya Brahma Upasana. So, Sanat Kumara taught Narada that one who speaks with the highest truth, he becomes super Ativadi. Earlier Ativadi, one who had identified himself with Prana or Hiranyagarbha, he becomes ordinary Ativadi. But a person who goes beyond and who identifies completely with Nirguna Brahman, he is called super Ativadi. And that is what Swami Vivekananda meant. Each soul is potentially divine, even though we have to translate it as each soul is none other than Brahman. So, how to attain to that? Narada, as we saw earlier, he felt by attaining identity with Hiranyagarbha or Prana, Prana Brahma, so he thought that is the ultimate goal. But a good teacher, he will not stop there. So, a first class guru, like a first class physician, until the Sikh person is completely cured, he will not give up. Ramakrishna's teaching, he will recollect later on. So, there are several steps are there. So, you must first know, says Sanat Kumara to Narada, if you wish to speak truth, you must speak the truth. So, that is why in codes also, circumstantial evidence is very much emphasized. So, if a person had only come to know something through hearsay, somebody told to somebody, that somebody told to somebody else and that is not accepted. Have you seen directly? So, that is circumstantial evidence. Under the circumstances, are you witnessing with your own eyes? So, unless a person knows what is Sathyam, then he cannot speak. Then to understand Sathyam, what is the ultimate reality? Sathyam, Gnanam and Brahma, Brahman, Atman are synonymous words. So, one should know Vijnanam, Visesha Gnanam. What is Vijnanam? That which we come to know about other than me, other than ourselves. So, if I know every single thing in this world, even if I know, that is called Gnanam. But if I know, even though it is appearing as many, many, many things, like reflections in a hundred mirrors, a person who is seeing his own reflections, he knows this is only my reflection. So, the same Atman manifesting in every mirror. What is this mirror? Body, mind, B and M complex. But the person whose reflection gets limited, so that which becomes limited, cut and confined only to that particular body and mind, that is what we call a tree exists, a man exists, a dog exists, etc. That is not Paramarthika Sathyam, that is Yavaharika Sathyam. So, one has to know Paramarthika Sathyam. We will also discuss a little bit about it soon. So, Visesha Gnanam means what? That even though I am having, seeing, experiencing infinite, almost infinite number of things, but they are not infinite number of things, they are only reflection of infinity, one Brahma. And for that Vijnanam, one has to first hear it from the scriptures and then deeply think about it. But to think deeply about it, we have to know it from something which is called Shastra or from somebody which is called Guru. So, for that we have to reflect. First comes Shramana, then comes Manana, then Nidhidhyasana. But this go on reflecting, so that to reflect without any reflection, without any kind of distortion, restlessness, one requires tremendous amount of Shraddha. If a man was being pursued by a huge hungry lion, he cannot think of anything else. Just imagine this beautiful imagery, you require tremendous concentration. So, go on imagining this kind of examples. Or in the Vedanta Sarva, we got an example. A person's hair has caught fire. Somehow, somebody poured petrol and that is what gangsters do. That is what fanatical people do. And they throw even babies into the burning ovens and they say, it is all to please my God. Like that. So, if a person's head is on fire and he sees a beautiful lake of a pond of cool water, even a bucket will do. What will you do? He wants to go and dip his head into that bucket or pond or whatever to put out the fire. Can that person think of anybody? Very interesting example. So, suppose such a person is running like a mad person and then Shri Ramakrishna comes and says, Oh, I am so pleased to see you. Specially, I came to have a chat with you. Let us have a chat, G.P.D. Do you think that man wants Shri Ramakrishna to come in between the water and his burning head? No. That is called the paramavyakulata. So, for that, to contemplate in that way, one must have dishraddha. What is dishraddha? A hungry tigress is running after you. And what is that hungry tigress? It is called kala. It is called death. Yavanam pratyaya antigataha na punanda devasaha. Kalo jagad bhakshakaha. So, this is a beautiful hymn we get to. Shiva paradakshama pada stotram. So, only a person with intense shraddha, only such a person, he will be able to think undistractedly with one-pointed concentration. But how to obtain this shraddha? For that, nishtishta. Nishtha. What is nishtha? Whether I understand or not, my guru told me. So, I am going to follow it. I know he will come and rescue me. He will save me. That is the highest truth. But to attain to that nishtha, what should a person do? He must perform all the injunctions that are ordained by the scriptures, as well as he should strive his best not to do what is forbidden. It is called vidhi and nishtha in the scriptures. So, nishtha is the result of kruti. And why does a person want kruti or actions? Because he wants sukham. Why do people do actions which bring in only punya? Because he wants sukham. But why do people do wrong things? Do they think and if they think that these actions will give me much more suffering than I can bear? Do you think they will be really doing them? No. Because they are thinking this person or this object is an obstruction and because of that obstruction, I am undergoing suffering. If I can remove that object, I can be a happier person. So, it is this misunderstanding. But a person murders for the sake of only sukham, tells lies for the sake of sukham and does all sorts of evil things for the sake of sukham. But the same person, he will only come to his senses because suffering is inevitable as a result of karma phala. Then that person will turn to punya and then he understands punya gives him sukham. Then a taste of wine intoxicates the person. And does it stop there? No. I want the same sukham continuously. So, therefore, he becomes addicted. Unfortunately, the more he drinks, the less sukham or less duration, less intensity he will be getting. And for that purpose, he becomes a habitual drinker, habitual smoker, habitual eater, habitual talker, etc. etc. So, now what we say that we want sukham. What type of sukham we want? Not temporary sukham. Qualitatively, quantitatively and time-wise, it should be infinite. That infinite sukham is called bhumanandam. Now, let us go back to descriptions backwards. We all want bhumanandam. And so, we are seeking only bhumanandam. By mistake, we think bhumanandam can be got only from any and every object, especially some special objects. But soon we understand, yes, there is some sukham. But that sukham is not coming from the objects. But at the initial stage, that sukham is obtainable only through kruti or actions. And actions in course of time, through experience, oh, I did this, I was happy. I did thus, and I was happy. And if I repeat that, whenever I repeat that, as many times as I repeat that, I will be obtaining sukham. So, a nishtha, complete faith that this action leads me to sukham. That idea makes him nishthavan. And nishtha in course of time, because he is experiencing it, leads to shraddha. Earlier, I told you that Vedas are divided into two parts. One is called, first part is called karmakanda. And in karmakanda, various rituals are prescribed, which lead one to not only ihaloka sukha. So, man can be, have, man can have long life, good, wonderful family, happy family, happy children, long-lived children, wealth and kirti, pratishta. We have seen how there was a prayer in the third anuvaka of the Taittiriya Upanishad. I want that medha. I want that ashes. Let all people come from every side, etc. So, this nishtha, that is, a person goes on doing what he believes, brings him happiness and he follows karmakanda and he gets the results. As a result, he will develop shraddha, shraddha in the karmakanda of the Vedas. Then, after some time, his eyes become opened. Not only karmakanda is there, nanakanda also is there. What is the difference between nanakanda and karmakanda? Karmakanda, definitely, it will give higher happiness, but it will come to an end. Whereas, nanakanda will lead to permanent happiness. So, the same shraddha with which, because of his experiences, he believes in the Vedas, now slowly turns to the higher ideal. So, that shraddha and through guru, that person, he hears. You must strive to realize Brahman, to manifest your potential divinity. For that, he requires a teaching and the teaching comes through a teacher and he has to go on mulling over it until all the doubts are completely eliminated. This is called manana or herein called mathihi. And in course of time, this manana leads to nididhyasana, which is called vijnanam. And this vijnanam makes the person realize satyam or brahman. Then, he can become a super ativadi. This is the process and from 23rd onwards. So, what is bhumasukham? How to define infinite happiness, etc., until 26th section. This 7th chapter has only 26 chapters. Earlier one, 6th chapter, only 16. So, this is where the steps leading. Sanat Kumara is guiding Narada slowly and slowly towards the realization of Brahman, which is called vijnanam. We have seen satyam and vijnanam and anantam are not three qualities, but the very nature. Satyam, it qualifies vijnanam. Vijnanam qualifies anantam. So, what is satyam? That which never deviates from its nature, that is called satyam. And how is it related to vijnanam? Because every vijnanam in this world doesn't lead to non-deviation. So, you have faith in an object, in a car. Car becomes old. It becomes useless. One day, it breaks down. It served you well in the beginning. That is a satyam, but this is a temporary satyam, but that is a changing satyam. So, changing satyam is not satyam. It is called asatyam or asat, non-existence. So, then the vijnanam will come. So, what type of satyam is going to make this satyam non-deviating from its nature? Only God never changes. And therefore, that knowledge, satyam leads to knowledge. And we also have knowledge of many number of things which are finite. Therefore, specifically in the second anuvaka, brahmananda valli, second valli, second chapter of Taittiriya Upanishad, so satyam jnanam anantam brahman. Brahman is defined as truth, knowledge and infinity. So, only infinity can give you infinite anandam. That is called brahmanandam, atmanandam, poornanandam by so many other names. So, this is where the satyam jnanam. What type of jnanam? The knowledge of anantam, infinity. And infinity is another name for brahman. This is how we have to understand the following steps that are going to come. So, section 16, truth or satyam. And transcendental knowledge is that knowledge which is identical with transcendental truth. And that person's speech should be based on the realization of brahman. So, this is real truth speaking, not finite truth speaking. Finite objects, they are also there and the knowledge about them is called finite truth. But the knowledge of the infinite, that is called real truth, anantam, jnanam. So, that is a person who knows that I am one with brahman. His truth speaking will be super truth speaking. So, real truth. Then what to do? There are certain steps. First of all, our speech, ordinary speech should be truth speech. We should not deviate. That's what Kshudiram, that's what Sri Ramakrishna, that's what Swami Vekananda had demonstrated. Earlier, our Puranas are full of stories of Harishchandra, Sri Rama. He went to forest. The Dasaratha did not ask him to go. But when he gave boons to Kaikeyi, she said, when the time comes, I will ask. Now, I don't have to ask. So, this is how Dasaratha thought that it won't, it will be fine. But when the time came, she said Rama should be sent to the forest Dandakaranya for 14 years. Very, very intelligent woman. Why? Because if you don't see somebody for 14 years, most likely you will forget about it. So, one devotee, after hearing a speech, says that Swamiji, how many new things I have heard from you today? Swami said, since how long have you been hearing my talk? For the last one year. So, from the very beginning, I have been repeating the same thing. Now, you are saying they are all new things. What does it mean? Oh, he forgot. So, what does it mean? Real truth. We have to speak truth even in this vyavaharika world. That's what Rama represented. That is what Krishna represents. That is what Ramakrishna, Ramakrishna, Ramakrishna. Innumerable people have represented. So, truth speaking is the first step and truth speaking will gradually lead one to truth seeking. And in order to become established firmly in truth speaking, we have to follow the 5 commandments of Ramakrishna and you are familiar with that so truth and knowledge are identical our speech becomes true because our speech should be based on the knowledge of the truth even in this transactional world or secular world so sanat kumara says only that person who realizes the truth only he can speak truth otherwise he cannot speak truth and he who can speak truth he becomes super super speaker that is truth speaker so narada says please instruct me initiate me into this mystery my dear narada sanat kumara says if you want true knowledge it is tuned up with reality but you must know what reality or truth is so what is meant by truth only then can we aspire for truth narada of course says bhagwan i would like to know what truth is satyam bhago vijayagnasa iti teach me what is the truth then he says this is the essence of the 16th section of the 7th chapter of the chandogya upanishad that is only that person who knows what is the highest truth he only speaks truth because he cannot speak anything else and so that person becomes a truth speaker oh so i would like to be such a super speaker of truth iti this was the naradas rejoined her and again sanat kumara says satyam teva vijay vijaygnasit avyam you must first of all know what is the truth and for that you have to seek the truth that is what jesus christ says knock and it shall be opened seek and it should be revealed to you so satyam bhago vijaygnasa so instruct me in that truth so we have to understand what truth satya sanat kumara was talking about and what sanat kumara was speaking about how is it understood by narada so we are all studying this so we should place ourselves at least a little bit in the place of narada so there are two types of truths are there is what shankaracharya's contribution beautiful commentary paramarthika satyam and vyavaharika satya absolute and transactional so truth about vyavaharika even why is reading of newspapers gives us so many truths about it you know why i am specially telling siram krishna said if i see a newspaper somewhere somebody thrown then seven inches of the earth becomes impure of course he doesn't know what he's talking about i know better than him don't be surprised don't be shocked because he was an old timer he could not speak properly so he has to learn from me i mean sanat kumara all those things so we have to we are reading anyway news newspaper we have to read newspaper there is a technique of reading newspaper and it reveals to us what does it reveal to us great truths not about god or brahman but about this world what do these newspapers are you can talk with somebody also what do they reveal to us so first what is the first several lessons we can learn what is the lessons what are the lessons we can learn first of all what is the lesson the world is ever changing and that is called vyavaharika truth transactional truth it is not nitya satya but it is transactional truth there is nothing in this world which remains exactly the same so the world is always changing and that is the truth about this world that is what the scriptures are also telling only they say it is a temporary what is temporary temper and worry some people pronounce temporary as a temporary so i'm just making a bit of fun and fun also so read newspaper so you go back satya yoga so there were rakshasas treta yoga ravana so oh the rama so he is an embodiment of dharma and what happened to him ravanasura was there and then he kidnapped god's own wife sita devi so in the we are thinking oh everybody is great in treta yoga the foolishness cannot go any further than that not only that how many rakshasas were there one or two first of all so vishwamitra took sri rama and then on the way first rakshasi was tataki and then rama refused to kill her she is a woman then vishwamitra had to convince him with great difficulty that because of her so many people are being killed so reluctantly or whatever rama had to kill and then so many rakshasas then this maricha came with 14 000 or so rakshasas and rama had to kill them and maricha escaped with his life and limb that is what they say and then ramanasura came and he kidnapped sita in the annakaranya later on and rama had to go how many rakshasas were there have you ever thought about it again more than 14 000 rakshasas were there and he had to kill all of them then he brought back sita then all rakshasas were eliminated and he was employing spies and then the spies they went and one of them came and reported this one washerman is talking ill of you oh rama and we know the story if you don't know go and read at least not telugu in three words he built the bridge and he killed ravana and he brought back sita that is sanskrit ramayana what do you understand by that nothing so what did what happened rama wanted to set an example even though she was so pure fire itself could not burn sita and then all because of what a fool some foolish people's remarks did rama act rightly of course rama bhaktas will come and kill me if i say no but i'm only telling unfortunately rama is not here so he forever renounced sita what a terrible punishment for a crime which she never committed anyway these are all some other ways of understanding ramayanam i don't want to go into that but what about dhwapar yuga what about this kurukshetra who are those duryodhana and others are they not rakshasas that who is a rakshasa he has got asuri sampath he is a rakshasa who are the rakshasas now in kalikala all those people who tell lies who are selfish who steal other people's properties and who kill mercilessly genocides they're all none but only rakshasas no doubt about it so rakshasas were never absent so what is the point the point is this world never becomes pure only everybody is a brahmavadi satyavadi it is not going to happen the balance will not be there so everything is changing and according to logicians there are two types of eternities even in this world one is called nitya satya another is called pravaha satya so nitya satya means nitya satya here is a baby grows up he becomes old he dies every object in this world happens in the same way so that is why we call it life is temporary that is the parama satya that is ever changing continuous constant change is called nitya satya what is the other satya it is called pravaha satya look at a river and the river has been some rivers are flowing for thousands of years as water it is ever changing but as the river continuously filling the water and even though it is flowing that is called pravaha nityatva that is it lasts a long time the earth lasts a long time himalayas last a long time etc etc this is called pravaha nitya anyway so coming back our bodies and minds are changing our internals and externals are changing and so what should we do do what should be done but be an observer like a maid servant in a rich man's house what does it mean this is not my home i do everything but i do not identify myself so live like that in a family so therefore it is that that is a lesson we have to learn so i love such and such a person how long do you love even every day if you happen to sleep eight hours in deep sleep this you are only loving for how many hours 16 hours just one day you examine yourself in 16 hours how many times you remember your beloved child beloved husband beloved wife etc very little you are busy in your own way so that is what happened and if by chance you want to think of your beloved object for a few minutes more that object becomes so boring afterwards you want some other entertainment this is the truth situations have changed previously they used to fight with bows arrows swords sticks but now they're fighting with drones bombs etc but the truth of killing and being killed that has not changed how many families have become ruined by each other killing each other so death is more certain than even taxes or taxes are more certain than even death so everything is changing in this world there's a don't think because you have a first class fridge and tesla car don't think that it is going to give you permanent tesla car also is going to become updated and then you feel so bad why did i not wait for a few months so it is like that everything is changing love also changes relationship also changes friendship also changes read newspapers with this light and they should open your mouth what happens if you really understand this the newspapers will give you a shock everything is changing but you are in quest of something permanent and that permanent cannot be got in this world that is the greatest news in this world that is what yaksha replies in the vanaparva of mahabharata so day and night so go back to our extra prashna classes sir ram krishna is also observing oh ridhu once ridhu was always in search of more money once sir ram krishna remarked to his nephew ridhu oh ridhu if i knew this world is real i would have paved kamarpur with gold if sir ram krishna knew this world is real he would have accepted what madhur babu had given what lakshmi narayana marwari had offered to give to him no he knows these things should not be accepted why because they will take us away from god that is the truth so love changes what about hatred that also changes what about friends they also change what about enemies they also change so amidst all changes but there is one thing which is unchanging and that is called the ever unchanging sakshi or witness this is the essence of this 17th this one so there are so many stories are there in our flag satyameva jayate recollect story of harish chandra so for that he was ready to die truth speaking then to that leads to truth seeking but narada had to be learned from the 15th section a true teacher never stops his instructions if he finds his people is perfectly fit for that so until the disciple realizes god he will not be satisfied sir ram krishna met niranjan later on swami niranjan ananda sir ram krishna found out like totapuri found out sir ram krishna sir ram krishna found out a perfect fit adhikari purusha on his second visit sir ram krishna ran forward embraced niranjan and said my boy when are you going to realize god time is passing niranjan and he started thinking my head is not bothered about when to realize god why this man is having headache about my god realization he did not know that he was a fit adhikari and he was wasting his energy in what they call inviting the ghosts and goals and other things sir ram krishna very soon changed all that and then sir ram krishna used to compare a first class guru a first class physician you know a third class physician prescribes some medicine medication says you follow this prescription that's all you will not do anything second class physician every now and then he will remind him are you taking the prescription are you following the diet rules etc but the first class physician finding that the person is is not following his prescription throws him down sits on his chest and then he catches hold of his throat and presses it and that until this fellow has no option but to open his mouth and pour the medicine down i've seen how farmers use it to open the mouths of the cows and buffaloes and pour down the medicine until they have no option but to so he also used to say rich are you caught you think you are caught by a water snake you are caught no for certain by king cobra and only at best one or two croaks after that he will be croaking forever you are not going to croak any longer and these people are called satyakamaha satya sankalpaha so this is the essence of the 16th one and then we will briefly enter into the 17th section so truth depends upon understanding because we should be after truth but what is the truth how do we know what is the truth any science book will only give us scientific truth but adhyatmika satyam or paramatik satyam can be obtained only by one pramana i hope you remember we discussed earlier what are pramanas there are six pramanas and five pramanas are to obtain this worldly knowledge and all the five pramanas depend upon one pramana that is called pratyaksha pramana or direct experience whether you want use inference or comparison etc that is our absence of a thing etc it is all dependent upon the pratyaksha pramana but super sensuous knowledge knowledge about whether there is life after death where is higher worlds lower worlds karma phala is inevitable and god has created the world and he only created each one of us he himself became each one of us and we have to reach him all these things are available only from the second part of the veda called nana kandam in any case even about the higher worlds karma kanda alone can tell us nobody can does a ghost exist only a person who has seen a ghost he knows ghosts exist but otherwise we have to turn to the veda then veda tells us yes bhutas retas vishachas they also exist and we must have faith in that therefore in the 17th section so we seem to be in a vicious circle so why can't you tell truth directly no even if i tell if you are not fit you will not be able to grasp that one so we say this is true that is true and else is whatever else is also true that means we are talking not the real truth but changing truth which is called vyavaharika satyam but everything every changing truth like a mistaken a rope mistaken as a snake is not really a snake but it is really a rope this world also even though it is a changing truth but this changing truth totally is founded upon unchanging truth so you can speak truth only when you know what truth is but truth is not what you know now the whole world is not true because it is limited by time space and causation so slowly sanat kumara guide him so we have to know preach knowledge itself but there are several steps as i mentioned earlier and so what is here that sanat kumara says that to know the truth you must know what is truth first thing is if you want to desire something you must know such a thing exists and what is it is it good is it not good does it help me does it make me happier does it avoid suffering disease etc and then only it is possible and therefore one should desire to know the truth and that desire comes only when one is certain such a truth exists venerables are i desire to know the truth and in answer he says listen to this and this section 17 is also only one mantra eva sanat kumara said when one understand the true only then does one declare the truth one who doesn't understand the true doesn't declare it only one who understands true declares the but one must desire to understand this understanding venerables are i desire to understand so this is again a beautiful step which we will talk in our next class om may sri ramakrishna holy mother and swami vekananda bless us all with bhakti jai ramakrishna